The players walked in with huge smiles on their faces at around 11am for a recovery session after they beat Chippa United 1-0 on Wednesday to book a spot in the MTN8 final.
The mood might have been totally different had Sundowns lost to Chippa, but their hard-fought win has given them the confidence they need to overcome Zesco United in the CAF Champions League semifinal second leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium tomorrow (7pm).
As was the case on Wednesday, a 1-0 victory would be enough for Sundowns to progress to the final after getting an away goal in Ndola last weekend.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds because Zesco will not lie down and just play dead.
“We knew after winning against Chippa it would give us the confidence to play against Zesco.
“We have reached the final of the MTN8 and now we are looking forward to reaching the final of the Champions League,” said central defender Thabo Nthethe, who will return to the starting line-up after he was rested for the Chippa clash.
“It’s not going to be easy. Knowing how Zesco play, they have the confidence. They will defend and try to make sure we do not score.
“We want to score an early goal, so that it can open the game. We have to make sure we do not concede. We need to put them under pressure from the beginning to the end and grind out a result.”
It will be difficult for Sundowns to keep a clean sheet, if the first leg was anything to go by.
Zesco’s attacking duo of Jesse Were and Jackson Mwanza are always looking to find spaces in the opposition lines, while the return of Cleotus Chama from suspension gives the visitors a big boost.
Nthethe bemoaned the absence of injured Colombian striker Leonardo Castro and says they will miss his height up front tomorrow. Coach Pitso Mosimane was forced to play Khama Billiat as a forward in Ndola, with Percy Tau playing close to him.
“We did not have the height up front [in the first leg].
“We are going to miss Castro a lot because aerially he is good and he can hold the ball for us. Zesco were winning most of the balls we played up front so we need to put the ball down and go at them.”
Permutations
*If Sundowns win 1-0, they qualify for the final
*If Zesco win or the match ends in a draw, Zesco go through
*If Sundowns win 2-1, the match will be decided via penalties. No extra time.
Additional reporting Sydney Morweng, news editor.
